Canadians Set to Challenge at XR1200 Series at Indy

The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series, a division of GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing based on the Harley-Davidson XR1200 platform, returns to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for the second consecutive year to compete alongside the full complement of MotoGP classes in the Red Bull Indianapolis GP.

This weekend's event is the only doubleheader on the 2012 calendar for the Vance & Hines XR1200 Series, and both races will be featured on SPEED in a one-hour broadcast on Sunday, August 19 at 5:00 p.m. ET/ 2:00 p.m. PT.

Last year's doubleheader at the famed Speedway featured intense battles by some of AMA Pro's best, including a strong contigent of Canadians. The drama will be intensified this year as the event features an expanded $50,000 purse and marks the start of the XR Showdown. With five races remaining the points for the top 10 riders have been reset to 1,000 each, leveling the playing field and creating a battlefield for the coveted No. 1 plate and associated $60,000 year-end prize fund.

Canada's Darren James (Ruthless Racing/Deeley Harley-Davidson) is a series regular, along with American talent of David Estok (Ruthless Racing/ Deeley Harley-Davidon), Travis Wyman (Harv's Harley-Davidson), Gerry Signorelli (Kuryakyn/ Racing for a Wish) and Josh Chisum (JCR/ Scrubblade/ Bartel's Harley-Davidson), who rounded out the pre-event Top 10 in the standings and all enter the weekend with an equal shot at the rider championship and XR Showdown prize money.

James will be joined by fellow Canadian XR1200 contenders Steve Crevier, JR McRae and Lee Kuhn Jr. Crevier took home fifth and sixth place results at Indy last year and is currently leading the Canadian XR1200 Championship.

The XR Showdown

The XR Showdown is a $60,000 year-end rider championship points fund supported by Vance & Hines and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. The champion rider in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series will be awarded the Number 1 plate along with $25,000 in prize money. The remaining $35,000 in the points fund will be paid out to second through tenth in the final point standings. Darren James is in the running, along with: O'Hara, K. Wyman, Barnes, Corbino, Estok, T. Wyman, Signorelli, Chisum and Carlson.